Slicing machine and method



SLICING MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed April 7, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l 0 3? 2w @7 INVENTOR. ?7 J. Evy M MEGA/USO #rroemsrs.

Ai 1952 R. M. M GNUSQN 2,590, 81

SLICING MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed April 7, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig- [ L I I I 02 INVENTOR- Ear M Maw/0:0

D-rroLQA/EKS P 1952 R. M. MAGNUSON SLICING MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed April 7, 1945 4 sheets sheet 3 IIIJL IN VEN TOR. E0 Y MHGNUSON k7" TOR-NE A ril 1, 1952 w R. M. MAGNUSN 9 SLICING MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed April 7, 1945 4 Sheets- Sheet 4' INVENTOR; For M MflGA/USO/V' M, W? ENE):

Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE smomo MACHINE AND METHOD J. H. Hume Original application April 7, 1945, Serial No.

587,124, now Patent No. 2,577,086, dated December 4, 1951.

Divided and this application October 11, 1948, Serial No. 53,921

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a slicing machine and is a division of copending application Serial No. 587,124, filed April 7, 1945, which became Patent Number 2,577,086 on December 4, 1951.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved method of slicing onions and other vegetables having root and stem ends.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus adapted to automatically slice onions and other vegetables having root and stem ends, and to automatically reject or discard the root and stem ends that said ends will not be mixed with the slices.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means for slicing onions and the like and for uniformly distributing the slices on conveying means for dehydration of said slices.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a slicing machine adapted to slice onions, after they have been bisected at right angles to their root-stem axes, from the cut faces of the halves toward their root and stem ends, and which machine automatically discharges the said ends separate from the slices.

In dehydrating onions, they are first sliced at right angles to their root-stem axes. The root and stem ends have heretofore become mixed with the slices, requiring inspection and the picking out of the said ends before the slices go,

to the dehydrator. These root and stem ends are not always discovered by this method, and an inferior batch of dehydrated onions results where they become mixed with the good slices. Inspection and sorting after dehydration is diiiicult, if not impossible, due to the fact that many of the onion rings in the slices become separated and the slices are indistinguishable from the smaller pieces and shrivelied rings.

Furthermore, in the process of drying onions, it is important that thedrying of the slices be done uniformly. This requires an even or uniform distribution on the trays that go through the dehydrator.

By the present invention the not and end pieces are automatically removed and the slices are uniformly and automatically distributed on the trays.

Other. objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

It is to be understood that the drawings and description are illustrative of a preferred apparatus or machine and. method for accomplishing the desired results, and are not to be considered restrictive. of the invention. Also while the description and its claims specifically refer to onions in many instances, this is not to be interpreted as necessarily restricting the invention to onions inasmuch as there may be other vegetables and also fruit that could be handled by the apparatus in the same manner as onions.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a sectional view showing the slicing knives or slicer mechanism that includes the transfer disks and conveyors associated therewith, but omitting the juice collectors for collecting and separating the juice resulting from slicing.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the slicer mechanism omitting the nearconveyor and juice collectors, but showing the frame and motors for the cutters and transfer disks.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the angular path of travel of slices cut by the cutters of Fig. 8 and showing. how they strike the trays and break up into separate rings.

Fig. 4 is a semi-diagrammatic view showing the onion juice separators or collectors in top plan view around the cutters.

Fig. 5 is a semi-diagrammatic elevational view of the cutters showing the juice collectors in section.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of one' of the juice collectors, the cutter being in elevation.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of one of the onion slicing knives, the central shaft being in section.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view of one of the holders for onions during the slicing of the latter.

Fig. 10 is an end view of the holder of Fig. 9 showing part of the slicing blade and showing the onion halves in position on the slicing blade including a root or stem end ready for ejection.

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the holder of Fig. 12 without the supports.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-42 of Fig. 9.

In detail, the onions, vegetables or fruit, are preferably bisected before being delivered to the slicing machine of this invention, and are arranged on an endless. belt conveyor with their out faces against such conveyor. The slices are laterally shunted off said conveyor onto a pair of parallel horizontally extending. endless belts that extend along opposite sides of the actual slicing mechanisms, all as shown in my copending application Serial No. 587,124, filed April 7, 1945,,

which became Patent No. 2,577,086 on December 4, 1951. The means for bisecting the onions and for arraying the halves face downwardly on the single conveyor, and for shunting the halves onto the spaced pair of conveyors are not shown herein, inasmuch as the present invention is restricted to the slicing apparatus which includes one or both of the conveyors that extend along opposite sides of the actual slicers.

Parallel spaced conveyor belts 34, 36 as shown in Fig. 1 extend along opposite sides of the actual slicing devices and are adapted to carry onion halves therein from left to right as seen in Fig. 1 with the cut faces of said halves against the belt. A partition 31 (Fig. 1) in belt 34 and a similar partition 38 on belt 38 divides the flow of onion halves on the belts 34, 36 for distribution of the halves to a plurality of holders 39 (in this instance four holders are provided) where the onions are sliced by rotary cutters 40. Shunt walls 4|, 42 over belt-34 direct the onions at opposite sides of partition 31 to two of said holders over intermediate transfer disks 43. Shunt walls 44, 45 over belt 35 respectively direct the onion halves at opposite sides of partition 38 to two of said holders 39 over intermediate transfer disks 46. Transfer disks 43, 46 accelerate the speed of the onions thereon to nearly the speed of the cutters.

The onion slices are thrown from high speed cutters 40 onto trays 41 so as to strike the trays at an angle of substantially less than 90 thereby causing the rings in each slice to separate from each other (Fig. 3). The said cutters are arranged so that the rings will be uniformly distributed on the trays. By separating the rings in the slices from each other the drying process is greatly expedited and uniformity of drying is effected. The trays 41 are carried on any suitable conveyor below the cutters at the desired rate of speed for proper distribution of the slices. The cutters preferably have a peripheral speed of from about 2,000 to 7,000 feet per minute.

The holders 39 are so arranged as to release the root and stem ends of the onion halves as soon as said ends are substantially all that remains of each half after the desired slices are dropped onto the trays. This structure will be more fully explained later.

The root and stem ends released from the holders are ejected onto conveyors 55 which may be the lower runs of belts 34, 36 respectively, or separate conveyors. Such ends may be discharged from said belts in the conventional manner onto any suitable conveyor or into any suitable collecting chute or the like. Thus an automatic separation of the root and stem ends from the desirable slices is eiTected.

The transfer disks 43, 4'6 are identical with each other in structure, each being preferably driven from above by its own motor I (Fig 2) in the direction of the arrow indicated on each disk in Fig. 1. One marginal portion ISI of each transfer disk 43 extends just below belt 34 adjacent the shunt walls 4|, 42 respectively. The disks 46 that are adjacent belt 36 likewise have a marginal portion I62 extending under said belt.

The rotary circular cutters 40 are each between one of the transfer disks 43 and one of the disks 43. In other words, one set of transfer disks comprising one disk 43 and one disk 46 is provided for each rotary cutter 43 at opposite sides of each cutter. Onion halves (face down) are fed onto one set of transfer disks by shunt walls 4|, 44; while onion halves are fed onto the other set of transfer disks by shunt walls 42, 45.

A marginal portion I63 of each of the transfer disks 43 extends over a marginal portion of each rotary cutter 40 at one side of the central axis of the latter and a marginal portion I64 of each of the transfer disks 43 extends over a marginal portion of each cutter at the opposite side of said central axis (Fig. 1).

The direction of movement of the transfer disks is such that onion halves carried thereon from belts 34, 36 to cutters 40 will be moving in the same general direction as the cutters 40 at marginal portions I63, I64 on the disks. Spaced guide strips I55, I33 over disks 43 guide the onions onto the rotary cutters, while spaced guide strips I31, I68 over disks 43 perform a similar function.

The rotary cutters 48 are identical. Each comprises a circular disk I13 centrally secured on the lower end of a drive shaft I?! that extends downwardly from a motor H2. Motors I12 are secured to a frame IE3 that carries the same and the cutters and supports the upper sides of said disks IEO in proper relation to disks 43, 43 that are also carried on said frame. The legs H4 of said frame may support the transfer disks in proper relation to belts 34, 38 (Fig. 2).

Each disk I'ED is formed with a plurality of slits or slots H5 extending arcuately inwardly from the edge of the disk and generally about equally spaced similar axes equally spaced from each other and from the central axis of each disk I10 (Fig. '7).

Along the convexly curved edge of each slot and defining said edge is a removable cutting blade I16 having a convexly curved cutting edge I18 spaced above the main plane of the disk I13. Thus upon rotation of the disk I10 with the convex edges I18 leading, any onions on said disk and in the paths of said edges H0 will be sliced by each of said blades H5 (Figs. '7, 8).

In the drawings, each rotary cutter has four equally spaced cutting blades and the cutting edges of these are so arranged that onions being cut tend to be forced radially outwardly of the central axis of the disk.

The holders for onions, generally indicated at 39 in Figs. 1, 2, are shown in detail in Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive.

Holders 39 are suspended over the marginal portions of the circular cutters 40 from a pair of supporting members I30 that are in turn secured to tubular housings I8I. These housings are secured to the motors H2 or to frame I13 as may be desired. The members I 85) of said pair may respectively be formed with several horizontal pieces I82, I83. Said pieces are in pairs opposed to each other at opposite sides of each of the housings I81, there being one pair of pieces I02, I33 to each of the holders 39. The members I and pieces I82, I83 thereon are parallel and each pair of pieces I82, I33 is arranged over opposite marginal portions of each cutter 40 about midway between the belts 34, 35.

A slot I84 is formed in each piece I82 extending longitudinally thereof and a similar slot I85 is formed on each piece I83 (Fig. 9). The upper end of a vertical bolt I85 extends through each slot I 84 and the upper end of a vertical bolt I8! extends through each slot I85. A nut I88 is on each bolt I36, I87 above pieces I82, I83 and a spacer E33 is below each such piece (Fig. 10).

A horizontal elongated plate I90 is secured intermediate its ends on the lower end of each bolt I86 between the head I9I of the bolt and the spacer I89, while a horizontal elongated plate I92 5. is secured intermediate its ends on. the lower end of each, bolt I81 between the head of said. bolt and the spacer thereon;

Depending from the ends of each plate I99 are a pair of vertical bolts I94, I95 and a similar pair of vertical bolts I96, I91 depend from the ends of plate I92. The bolts I94, I95 extend through slots I98 in plate I99 and bolts I96, I91 extend through slots I99 in plate I92. The slots in each plate extend longitudinally thereof and nuts 290 on the bolts I94 to I91 inclusive above and below plates I90, I92 releasably secure the bolts to said plates for adjustment of the-bolts longitudinally of the slots as well as axially'of' the bolts.

The lower ends of bolts I94 to I91 inclusive are formed with horizontally directed eyes 2iJI' (Fig. 10) for bolting said lower ends to the holders 39. Thus the bolts I96, I94, I95, I96, I91 form hangers for each holder. The bolts I94, I96 are spaced from similar sides of bolts I86, I81, while bolts I95, I91 are spaced from the opposite similar sides of said bolts I86, I81. The holders 39 are in two halves,one of which halves is carried by bolts I94, I96, while the other half is carried by bolts I95, I91. Thus, by adjusting bolts I95, I91 toward or away from" bolts I94, I96, the halves ma be moved closer together or farther apart and by adjusting the nuts 290 axially on bolts I94 to I91 the halves may be moved toward or away from the rotary cutter therebelow. The bolts I86 provide for bodily adjustment of the holders toward or away fromv the central axis, of the-rotary cutters. It is thus seen that the holders and the halves thereof are capable of being adjusted to meet every condition.

The halves of holders 35 are complementary to each other and each'half comprises a specially formed plate having what may be called a toe portion 205 and a heel portion 296 and intermediate body portion 201 (Figs. 9, 11). Between the toe portion and body portion of each half is an ear 298 that is apertured for bolting to the eye at the lower end of one of bolts I94, I95 as the case may be,,while an ear 299 is between the heel and body portion of each half. is apertured for bolting to the eye at the lower end of one of the bolts I95, I91.

The heel portions 296 of the halves of eachholder connects with the guides I65, I66 (Fig. 1), or with guides I61, I68 according to the positions of theholders, inasmuch as the onions enter the holders between saidheel portions. Said heel portionsin each holder may be horizontally elongated flat plates that are preferably inclined between 60 and,'10 relative to horizontal (Fig. 12) with their opposed surfaces facing generally downwardly. The lower edges of the heel portions of each plate are slightly higher than the lower edges of the body and toe portions-so as toclear the-transfer disl s43 over which said heel portions extend.

The body portions 291 of each holder are fiat plates integral with the respective heel portions and are in continuation thereof, but they are preferably inclined relative to horizontal no more than 60 (Fig; 10). The vertical width of the plate forming the body portion of each half is progressively less in direction toward the toe portion. The upper edge of the body portion of each half is inclined to provide for thus decreasing width while the lower edge is-horizontal and substantially parallel. with the cutter therebelow, it being understood that the body and toe portions of the holders are directly over the marginal portions of the circular cutters.

The toe portion 2950f each-half is merely a continuation of the body portion, and the upper and lower edges of each toe portion also continues in alignment with the upper and lower edges of the body portion. The plates comprising the body and toe portion of each half of each holder come to a substantial point at the outer end of the ,toe portion, and the lower marginal portions of the opposed body and toe portions of each holder are turned oppositely outwardly so as to form rounded lower edges on said holder.

The onion halves upon being directed between the heel portions of each holder are moving at substantially the same speed as the speed of the 15 cutters, therefore, upon said onion halves passing onto the cutters from said transferdisks, the said halves will not be upset by contact with the cutter blades before the same are held against the downwardly inclined sides of the body portions of the holders during actual slicing.

In Fig. 10 an onion half 5 is shown at the beginning of the slicing operation. As the holders 39 are quite close to the outer edges ofthe circular cutters it the onion halves are positioned where the speed of travel of the cutting blades is fastest and the arcuate linear contour of thecutting edges is such that the slicing is accomplished progressively "licross the body of each onion half in direction generally radially relative to the-axis of each cutter.

As the slicing of each half continues from the cut face toward the root or stem end, the halves continue to move in the holders toward the toe of each until the motor stem end 6 (Fig. 10) is all that is left, and at this point said root or stem end is at a level where it is released from engagement with the holder for ejection from the cutter by centrifugal force. The fact that the holder is in halves that are spaced apart provides an opening between the apices of the toe portion for permitting the upstanding or projecting tuft from the root or stem ends to pass through said opening.

The force with which the root and stem ends 5 are ejected from the cutters is sufficient to throw said ends onto conveyor belts (Fig. 2) which may be the lower runs of conveyors 34, $6, or they may be separate conveyors should there be any objections to depositing the said ends on the inm ner sides of said belts 34, 36. In any event, the

root and stem ends are automatically separated from the onion slices. The latter, as they fall from the cutters, will be deposited on the trays moving therebelow and the distribution of the 55 holders and cutters is such as to insure a substantially uniform distribution of the slices on the trays.

In Fig. 3 one of the cutters id is indicated with an onion half 5 thereon. The slices 1 are seen 69 to follow the downward path 2&6 that is at less than a right angle with respect to tray 41 and the plane in which the slices 1 are disposed while in said path is such that the edge of each slice of strikes the tray instead of the slices dropping in horizontal planes. The peripheral speed of the cutters at the point where the slices are cut is from about 2,000 to 7,000 feet'per second and this has a, great deal to do with the path taken by m the slices.

The angle at which the slices strike tray' 41 and their velocity results in eachslice separating into its rings 2i I, thus producing a layer of separate onion rings on the tray through which the drying air can readily circulate. Drying is uni.-

form as a result and one of the heretofore baffling problems is solved.

The importance of this uniform drying is readily apparent when it is considered that the onion slices are eventuall dried to the point where they contain less than moisture by weight. In the conventional methods heretofore used some slices might break up into separate rings on the trays, while others remained whole, and still others were in stacks or at least in pairs flat together thus making it almost impossible to effectively dry them. By the time the slices that were separated into rings had dried to the desired degree, those slices that were whole and in stacks or pairs might contain from 6% to moisture by weight and even more. Thus, to make the average moisture content 5% or less would result in some of the onions being practically charred while others were still relatively moist.

By the present invention as above described, the thickness of the layer of onions on the tray may be increased over previous methods and uniform drying will still be accomplished. It might be added that the breaking of the onion slices into rings also produces a greater uniformity in the layers, whereas heretofore the layers were somewhat spotty inasmuch as the onion slices tended to stay on the tray in files directly below the cutters.

In the cutting of onions it has heretofore been the practice to permit the water or juice to mix with the slices. In fact, it has been unavoidable in most instances. Where the cutters have a relatively high peripheral speed, as in the present instance, this moisture is thrown off by centrifugal force and is collected in the annular trough 215 (Fig. 4) that surrounds each of the circular cutters. The trough is disposed outwardly of the periphery of each cutter (Fig. 6) a sufficient distance so as not to interfere with the falling slices 1 (Fig. 5) that are cut close to the periphery of each cutter. At those points around each cutter where the root and stem ends 6 are thrown off (Fig. 4) the upper outer edge of the outer side of each trough is cut away as at 216 (Fig. 6) so as not to interfere with the discharge of the said root and stem ends.

From the foregoing description it is seen that a triple action automatically occurs in the slicing step, namely (1) the free moisture resulting from the slicing step is separated from the cut slices, being carried off by any suitable conduit 2 I! leading from the lower portion of each trough or collector 215; (2) the root and stem ends are automatically separated from the slices, and (3) the slices are broken up into their separate rings.

The ultimate end accomplished by these triple steps is a fast and uniformly dried quantity of sliced onions, inasmuch as the slow drying and undesirable stem and root ends are eliminated, and the water or free moisture due to cutting is taken away, and the slices are separated into separate rings. By referring to the stem and root ends as being undesirable, I mean that their mixture with the slices is undesirable, both from the standpoint of the finished product and from the standpoint of drying.

I claim:

1. An onion slicer comprising a horizontally disposed disk supported from above for rotation about its central vertical axis, means above said disk for so rotating it, said disk being formed with a slot extending generally outwardly relative to said axis and provided with a cutting edge along one side of said slot projecting upwardly relative to the upper surface of said disk for slicing an onion half adapted to be supported on said surface with its cut face down, conveyor means below said disk for receiving slices adapted to be cut from said halves, feed means for delivering onion halves in single file onto the upper side of said disk with their cut faces down, means for guiding such halves'to a position for cutting by said cutting edge, means for holding said halves during said cutting by said edge, said last mentioned means comprising elongated guide members spaced above said disk and from each other and extending generally convergently from said feed means.

2. An onion slicer comprising a horizontally disposed disk supported from above for rotation about its central vertical axis, means above said disk for so rotating it, said disk being formed with a slot extending generally outwardly relative to said axis and provided with a cutting edge along one side of said slot projecting upwardly relative to the upper surface of said disk for slicing an onion half adapted to be supported on said surface with its cut face down, conveyor means below said disk for receiving slices adapted to be cut from said halves, feed means for delivering onion halves in single file onto the upper side of said disk, with their cut faces down, said feed means including a horizontal conveyor belt alongside said disk at a level above that of said disk and a rotary horizontal transfer plate between said belt and said disk, said plate extending below said belt at a point along one edge thereof and. extending above said disk at another point along its said edge, said belt being adapted to carry onion halves to said plate, means for shunting such halves onto said plate, and means for guiding the halves on said plate onto the upper side of said disk.

3. An onion slicer comprising a horizontally disposed disk supported for rotation about its central vertical axis, means for so rotating said disk, said disk being formed with a slot extending generally outwardly relative to said axis and provided with a cutting edge along one side of said slot projecting upwardly relative to the upper surface of said disk for slicing onion halves adapted to be supported on said upper surface with their cut faces down, means at opposite sides of said axis for feeding such halves onto said disk from said opposite sides, conveyor means below said disk for receiving the slices cut from said halves, a holder over each disk for holding such halves at said opposite sides of said axis during slicing thereof, means for adjusting the positions of said holders toward and away from said axis and toward and away from said upper surface.

4. An onion slicer comprising a rotary cutter, means for supporting an onion half against a side of said cutter for progressively slicing said onion, means for rotating said cutter at a relatively high speed for throwing the juice resulting from the slicing of said onion outwardly thereof by centrifugal force, a juice collector around said cutter and disposed radially outwardly thereof for collecting said juice, and a conduit for carrying such juice away from the slices.

5. An onion slicer comprising a rotary cutter, means for supporting an onion half against a side of said cutter for progressively slicing said onion, means for rotating said cutter at a relatively high speed for throwing the juice resulting from the slicing of said onion outwardly thereof by centrifugal force, a juice collector slices, said means for supporting such onion half being a holder formed with opposite sides disposed convergently relative to each other in the direction of rotation of said cutter, the convergent ends of said holder being spaced apart a predetermined distance and spaced a predetermined distance from said cutter to permit a portion of such onion of predetermined width and thickness to pass said ends for ejection from said cutter generally tangentially thereof by centrifugal force at a predetermined point around said cutter, said collector being relieved at said point to permit passage of such portion past said collector free from interference by the latter.

6. The method of slicing onions that comprises the steps of progressively slicing each onion transversely of-its root-stem axis, causing each of the slices to follow a predetermined path of travel in a plane common to the plane of such 10 slice, intercepting the said slices in said path by a plane surface intercepting. said common plane at an angle whereby each slice will strike such plane surface substantially edgewise and will thereby separate into its separate ring's.

ROY M. MAGNUSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 126,116 Weed et a1 Apr, 23, 1872 1,033,446 Morton July 23, 1912 1,270,039 Miller June 18, 1918 1,676,241 Ayars July 10, 1928 1,799,282 Conklin Apr. '7, 1931 1,964,290 Krause June 26, 1934 2,107,208 Nankivell Feb. 1, 1938 2,169,323 Martinet Aug. 15, 1939 2,187,252 Urschel Jan. 16, 1940 2,262,882 Bucklin Nov. 18, 1941 2,325,779

Kraber Aug. 3, 1943 

